Sara Sharif trial: Father and stepmother jailed for murder

The father and stepmother of 10-year-old Sara Sharif have been jailed for life for her murder.

Sara was hooded, burned and beaten during more than two years of abuse before her body was found with dozens of injuries at the family’s home in Woking, Surrey, last year.

Her father, Urfan Sharif, 43, and stepmother, Beinash Batool, 30, were found guilty of murder on Wednesday, while her uncle, Faisal Malik, 29, was convicted of causing or allowing a child’s death.

At the Old Bailey, Sharif was sentenced to a minimum of 40 years in prison, while Batool received a minimum of 33 years.

Malik was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment.

Mr Justice Cavanagh told the court that the treatment Sara received from Sharif and Batool was “torture”.

“The degree of cruelty involved is almost inconceivable,” he said.

“You Beinash Batool did not stand in Urfan Sharif’s way. You encouraged Urfan Sharif in his assaults.”

In a statement read out in court, Sara’s mother, Olga Domin, said the defendants were “sadists”, adding: “Although even this word is not enough for you. I would say you are executioners.”

Paying tribute to her daughter, Ms Domin said: “She is now an angel who looks down on us from heaven. She is no longer experiencing violence.

“I hoped that when she grew up would we meet, but now that won’t happen.”

Warning: This article features details that some people might find distressing

The trial heard how a post-mortem examination found Sara had suffered injuries including six probable human bite marks, an iron burn and scalding from hot water before she died on 8 August last year.

Next to Sara’s body, which was found by police in a bunkbed, was a note in her father’s handwriting, which read: “Whoever see this note, it’s me Urfan Sharif who killed my daughter by beating.”

Sharif initially claimed that Batool was responsible for Sara’s death, and told the jury he had made a false confession in the note and a subsequent phone call in order to protect his wife.

However, in a dramatic U-turn under cross-examination, Sharif later accepted “full responsibility” for his daughter’s death.

Sara had more than 70 new external injuries when her body was found by police, including 11 fractures to her spine and signs of a traumatic brain injury.

Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC previously said a bloodstained cricket bat, a rolling pin with Sara’s DNA on it, a metal pole, a belt and rope were found near the family’s outhouse.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.